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Rooster89

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Im getting a new PC very soon... well I hope so anyway. I dont have any experience building PCs so I think I'll have them do it for me. So far it looks like I'll be buying from www.ibuypower.com . Any one have any positive or negative experience with this company. I'd like to have some feedback before I place my hard earned money in thier hands. Also if you have any suggestions of good ones youve bought from.

Thanks,
-Rooster
 
Actually Rooster, you wouldn't believe how simple (not to mention how much cheaper) building your own computer really is. Just Google "how to build a pc from scratch" and you'll find loads of info. I built my tower for right at $700 US and it runs OFF beautifully. Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are a lot of folks here that are very knowledgeable when it comes to working on the "magic box" and don't hesitate to answer questions. I know because I was where you are about a year and a half ago, and they helped me. I also had to do a lot of reading on my own, but I learned a great deal and will be glad to assist in any way I can. Check it out. You might be pleasantly surprised, as will your wallet.

CJ
 
I had an IBuyPower prior to my current machine. The MoBo died after about 3 years. I could have replaced it with a new one, but the connections for power supply, RAM, CPU and VidCard had all changed in that time and would have needed to be replaced. The only thing I could salvage was the case and the hard drive.

I had my local geek store (not Circuit City or Best Buy) build me a gaming rig. I got it for about the same price as an IBP, but no crapware. The only extra software it came with was a free full version of Crysis.

IBP was fast, cheap, and the machine did last for a couple of years, and the failure wasn't their fault. However I'd still recommend going to a locally owned computer store and see what they can do for you. Print off the IBP specs and see if they can beat the price. No harm in asking.
 
Thanks guys. I'd like to build my own eventually but, I really want to have this one with all the latest and greatest goodies. I dont want to start building this and accidentally ruin a good part. Thats how I learned to work on cars. I'd do something and mess it up really bad. The second time I'd do it a little different, and so on. But they were all cheap cars. And Im better with mechanical than electronic. So, I'd probably begin learning what I'm doing with PCs by starting with a cheap one. Thanks jarhead. I like supporting local small businesses when I can. Just havent found too many yet. I'll definately find a good one and stop in and ask.

-Rooster
 
I bought a desktop from ibuypower a few years ago and it arrived with shattered case-glass due to crappy packaging. The gorilla's of UPS probably didn't help either. But, it is still running since 2003.

Just to pile on with the rest of the advice, building your own is really really easy, especially if you get a case/motherboard combo where all the little wires are already connected between the two. That and you'll find NewEgg extremely addicting once you do!
 
I second Newegg! I also built my current rig by myself. It was much less trouble than I thought it would be. In fact, it was sort of fun. :jump: Not to mention the sense of accomplishment you feel when you press that start button for the first time and it actually boots to Windows!

Getting back to Newegg. They offer good prices and good service, IMO. I returned a motherboard to them because I thought it was defective. Turned out the motherboard was fine, instead it was bad RAM. Still, they replaced the motherboard, no questions asked! Now that's service!
 
IMO Newegg has the best selection and the best prices of computer hardware you'll find online. That's where I get 80% of my stuff.

CJ
 
I've built my own and had one built. I love egghead for individual componenets; however, I've had exceptional luck with my last computer from DigitalStorm-- exceptional customer service, nice rigs, decent prices. Highly recommend a look-see.

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/

LeBlaque
 
Building up your own rig is extremely easy. Just back up your old data, (if you gonna keep your old HDDs you will have to format them) and get to work! It will also help if you another PC or a laptop with access on the internet, to get help with assembly if anything bad occurs. Just be sure to watch out about the hardware compatibility. I built my PC 15 days ago from scratch (I just kept my HDD and CPU) and now I have a very good rig which will run OFF smoothly. Dont be afraid to do it, it will cost less and I found it to be a lot of fun.
 
Thanks again for all the helpful info. I must admit, you all have me almost convinced in building my own. But theres one thing, how long does it usually take to build one? Just a ballpark estimate because I know all the alloted time for shipping of parts is different for everyone. I dont have a ton of free time all to myself and really want to spend it flying BHAH.

-Rooster
 
ok CJ. Thanks. I think Im gonna do it. But I'll need alot of help along the way and I know I count on you all. Another question. Should I get a full tower for the high end example on the OFF site? And what should I get for power supply? More is better right? But the 1000w+ supplies are pretty pricey.

-Rooster
 
If you're planning on a high end graphics card, I wouldn't go any smaller than a mid tower. My 8800GTX only clears my HD by about an inch and it's a mid. The power supply will depend on what's going into your machine. I use an Antec EA650 myself and it seems to do the job well. You can find a PSU calculator here.....http://www.antec.outervision.com/
That will give you a good idea what wattage of PSU you will need to power your projected hardware config.

CJ
 
I bought my first PC in '93. A Compaq Presario 486 66 MHz all-in-one. After upgrading it to four MB (yes megabytes!) of RAM and adding a soundcard (those were new-fangled devices back then), I realized it was probably easy enough to build my own. I have since built perhaps two dozen rigs for myself, friends, family, and clients. My first try took about six hours as I was going VERY slowly so as not to botch anything up. My current machine, I built in November of last year... took about two hours not including OS installation.

After saying research, research, research, my next bit of advice is to order everything together so that you have everything you need within the same week. With one build, I ordered parts as the funds became available. Not having any way to test the new video card, it sat in the closet for almost three months awaiting the rest of the parts. As it was an OEM card, it only had a 30 day warranty. When I started the machine, I found I had gotten a bad card and could not return it. That sucked. Now I don't order OEM unless I am sure I can test it immediately.

Good luck, and don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have as I am sure someone here is always willing to help.
 
Thanks for the tips Zommoz. I was going to do it one part at a time but that was a great point about the warrantees that I overlooked. Now I'll definately order everything at one time. Guess I'll go with a full tower just to be absolutely sure everything will fit. And thanks for the calculator CJ. I'll definately be needing that.

-Rooster
 
Rooster89,

Look around SOH for posts by TXNETCOP. He, along with Harleyman and a few others, have excellent advice on building a system for an economical price.

Kevin
 
Thanks Wiens. Im sure I'll be asking for help all over the place. lol

-Rooster
 
Rooster89 said:
ok CJ. Thanks. I think Im gonna do it. But I'll need alot of help along the way and I know I count on you all. Another question. Should I get a full tower for the high end example on the OFF site? And what should I get for power supply? More is better right? But the 1000w+ supplies are pretty pricey.

-Rooster
Click to expand...


Rooster, it's really not hard to build at all. All of the components have their place, and without a doubt, there is enough instruction on the I-net to get it all answered if there are any questions.

BTW... I am expecting the rest of my PC parts from Newegg on Tuesday. So if you happen to notice around 8 or 9pm Tuesday night a huge, bright flash coming from the direction of Long Island... don't worry... it's not a terrorist's dirty bomb taking out Manhattan.... it's just me crossing some PC wires and blowing up my neighborhood. Sucks for them. :whistle:
 
ovs said:
Rooster, it's really not hard to build at all. All of the components have their place, and without a doubt, there is enough instruction on the I-net to get it all answered if there are any questions.

BTW... I am expecting the rest of my PC parts from Newegg on Tuesday. So if you happen to notice around 8 or 9pm Tuesday night a huge, bright flash coming from the direction of Long Island... don't worry... it's not a terrorist's dirty bomb taking out Manhattan.... it's just me crossing some PC wires and blowing up my neighborhood. Sucks for them. :whistle:
Click to expand...

LOL. I'll be sure to relay the info to everyone I know. Wear a flak jacket and a fireproof suit. You deserve a fair warning when I put mine together so I'll let you know incase you see any rampant forest fires in the mountains. Ahhh I can see the headlines already......"Hillbilly works on computer - Burns down State Park" lol.

-Rooster
 
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